A father of a 21-year-old man murdered by a TikTok influencer and her mother – who he was having a secret affair with – today revealed his family had been sent death threats following the tragedy.
Sajad Hussain’s son Saqib died in a 100mph car crash orchestrated by his former lover Ansreen Bukhari, 46, her influencer daughter Mahek Bukhari, 24, and five others.
In a victim impact statement, given ahead of their sentencing, he told how his family’s life had been ripped apart.
‘We’ve had people harass, abuse and threaten us, as well as death threats,’ he said.
‘We are still heart-broken and devastated by our huge loss. Our whole family has been torn apart.’
Saqib Hussain (pictured), 21, was killed after having an affair with Mahek’s mother Ansreen Bukhari
Mahek Bukhari and her mother, both of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, had denied two counts of murder
Mahek Bukhari, 24, was said to have taken part in the ‘ambush’ after Mr Hussain threatened to use sexually explicit material to expose a long-running affair he had with her 46-year-old mother Ansreen
He told how they were unable to grieve in peace due to the abuse they have been receiving.
The Bukharis face life behind bars after both being previously found guilty of double murder.
Saqib, who had been dumped by his married lover and had allegedly been trying to blackmail her, died along his friend Hashim Ijazuddin, also 21, in a horror crash on the A46 near Six Hills in Leicestershire in February 2022.
Mahek and her mum had ‘lured’ Saqib Hussain to a meeting point where they hoped to buy his silence for £3,000, which he claimed to have spent on taking her out during their three-year affair.
After Saqib and his friend Hashim Ijazuddin realised it was a ‘trap’, they drove off and began to be pursued in a 100mph speed chase which ended in their car crashing into a tree in a ball of flames.
The victim’s father relived the moment the police went to their home to tell them their son was dead.
He described how his wife fell to the floor screaming ‘my child’ while Saqib’s grandmother fell into the arms of a police officer, sobbing.
Mr Hussain’s friend, driver Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin (pictured), also 21, was in ‘the wrong place at the wrong time’ as he was killed when the pair were forced off the road by Bukhari and her associates
The scene of the wreckage of Mr Ijazuddin’s car on the A46 in February last year
He said he and Saqib’s mother were in ‘extreme shock’ and like ‘lifeless corpses’ as they strugged to understand their son was dead.
Mr Hussain paid tribute to his son, saying: ‘The joy Saqib brought into our lives is immeasurable. Saqib’s beautiful presence was a gift.
‘He brought light into the lives of everyone who knew him. His smile would light up any room and he had a contagious laugh. He was kind-hearted and selfless, always putting others before himself.’
He said that the family found out through TikTok that most of the original eight defendants had been released on bail before the police had a chance to inform them about it.
After the first trial collapsed, all the defendants except Raees Jamal – who had recently been convicted of a rap in 2020 and given a 10-year jail sentence – were released on bail and remained free throughout the second trial.
The father of Hashim Ijazuddin, Sikandar Hayat, said in a statement: ‘My heart has been ripped out and none of us will be the same again. None of us will truly smile again’ All we have left is memories of our beloved son.’
TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari (right) and her mother Ansreen Bukhari (left) have been found guilty of murder
He added: ‘I have never felt pain like this and never imagined something like this could happen to someone so loving and giving.None of us have recovered from losing him in such a brutal way.’
Telling the court how the loss had affected him, Hashim’s father said he used to take pride in his appearance but since losing his son he had put on 30kg and now struggled to walk. He said: ‘Just getting out of bed is a battle.
He said his son, who accompanied his friend Mr Hussain to the rendezvous that ultimately led to their deaths, had been ‘innocent’.
He said he could not understand why the defendants had not called the emergency services to get help after the crash, adding: ‘They left him and his friend to burn in a furnace of hell.’
Hashim’s older brother Zaheer described the Bukharis as ‘murdering monsters’.
Both families said they were haunted by the fear the victims must have felt in their final moments.
Mahek Bukhari (left) and her mother Ansreen Bukhari (right)have been found guilty of the murders of Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin in a high-speed car chase in February 2022
Fellow defendants Rekhan Karwan (left) and Raees Jamal (right) were also found guilty of two counts of murder
The trial heard a 999 call made by Mr Hussain from the passenger seat of his car as it was chased along the A46 towards Six Hills in Leicestershire.
He told police: ‘There’s guys following me, they have balaclavas on… they’re trying to ram me off the road.’
A scream was heard on the line before the call abruptly ended.
Zaheer, who wore a football strip with the name ‘Hashim’ and the number 21 – his brother’s age when he was killed, glared t the defendants and asked: ‘Why did these vile humans take [Hashim] away? He never harmed anyone. He was generous, caring, funny and thoughtful.’
He went on to describe how the sadness had reduced his parents life expectancy. He said: ‘The rapid decline in my parents’ health has been heart-wrenching. I fear I will lose my parents sooner – this has taken years off their lives.’
He said that whenever he sat alone he had anxiety attacks. He said: ‘These attacks cripple me. I wanted to join him. I wanted to get in his coffin on the day of his burial. The men around me had to physically restrain me from doing so.’